The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Episode 3588 – Trump Zero Kimmel One; Sun Sets in Baltimore
Date: September 24, 2025
Guests: Hannah Gaskill & Dan Belson (Baltimore Sun reporters)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Sam Seder and crew dissect the return of Jimmy Kimmel to late-night TV amidst pressure from the Trump administration and right-wing media, analyze the current state of the 2025 government shutdown standoff, and discuss the Trump camp’s recent turnaround on U.S. support for Ukraine. The centerpiece of the show is a detailed interview with Hannah Gaskill and Dan Belson of The Baltimore Sun, who detail an escalating labor crisis and threats to journalistic independence at their historic paper following its acquisition by Sinclair Broadcast Group’s David Smith.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jimmy Kimmel Returns: Right-wing Outrage and the Disney Calculus

• Context: Kimmel’s show was suspended by ABC/Disney under reported government pressure, allegedly in response to Trump’s criticism.

  • Many people were canceling their Disney/Hulu subscriptions during Kimmel's absence.
  • Disney anticipated increased subscriber loss due to both the Kimmel controversy and a recent rate hike.

• Right-wing Backpedaling: Right-wing talking heads, including Jesse Watters and Kayleigh McEnany, now claim Kimmel’s suspension and return are purely business decisions, denying any political interference.

  • Sam’s Critique: “But how could we possibly, you know, like Chris Cuomo said, until I see evidence. Well, we’ve seen the reporting. We've seen the statements by Trump four months ago saying Kimmel is next. We saw the FCC step in…” (11:24)
  • Trump’s own post on Truth Social refers to White House involvement and the supposed "illegal campaign contribution" of Kimmel's reinstatement.

• Notable Moment:

  • Sam Seder (on Trump’s bragging and projection):
    “Is Fox News a campaign contribution?” (14:12)

• Analysis: The crew exposes the hypocrisy and bad faith of right-wing media’s abrupt rhetorical shift regarding corporate and government interference in media.

2. Baltimore Sun in Crisis: Union Busting and the Byline Strike

[Interview with Hannah Gaskill and Dan Belson begins at 23:36]

Background:

• The Baltimore Sun is Maryland’s paper of record, with a storied 187-year legacy.
• In January 2024, the Sun was acquired by David Smith, executive chair of Sinclair Broadcast Group, in partnership with conservative commentator Armstrong Williams.

Post-Acquisition Changes:

• Staffing has halved from 40+ to ~20; significant losses due to departures and reassignments.

• Circulation and online readership have plummeted—Sunday print circulation fell 44%, and weekday to 18,000 (down 37%), according to the Baltimore Banner.

• Sam's Analysis:
  “This is a story of…not a slow, gradual decrease in circulation and readership. This is dramatic…this is just poor business, it seems.” (29:09)

Union and Management Conflict:

• Management blames the union for declining metrics, proposes contract changes to silence criticism, including a non-disparagement clause.

• Union rejected these terms; management claims an impasse and is imposing changes anyway.

  • Dan Belson: “They want to silence us by putting in a non-disparagement clause in our union contract…They say that this is our fault. This is fully based on the union’s contract actions.” (30:41)
  • Hannah Gaskill: “All we want is to get the truth out. And when management has a problem with that, that’s concerning… this is about local democracy and we’re fighting for good journalism.” (37:24)

• Only one unionized employee has been fired so far, but many have left for other outlets.

Union’s Response & Next Steps:

• Recent and possible future byline strikes to withhold reporters’ names from stories, highlighting the labor crisis and importance of journalistic attribution.

  • Dan Belson: “We did a byline strike on election week, which is the most painful week for a newspaper to have a byline strike.” (34:44)

• Encouragement for public support:

  • Follow @baltsunguild on Bluesky/X
  • Participate in their letter campaign (details and links provided in the show notes)

Notable Quote:

• Hannah Gaskill: “Silencing workers, silencing union journalists, that’s silencing the truth...” (37:24)

3. Trump’s Ukraine Reversal: “Vacuous” Messaging and Economic Angle

[Begins ~39:00]

• Trump’s Latest Post: Now claims Ukraine can regain all its territory, after previously touting an “easy peace deal” favorable to Russia.

  • Sam’s Analysis: “This is a full 180 degree turnaround…It is shocking that it’s taken him eight months to get this information. It’s shocking. It’s also…completely unbelievable. It’s a lie, of course.” (41:11)

• Economic Motivation: The Secretary of the Treasury (not State or Defense) is sent to Fox Business to spin this as a potential boon for U.S. defense contractors; emphasis is on arms sales, not principle.

  • Sam: “This is all about…telling Fox Business ‘invest in Raytheon or whoever.’” (46:52)

• Projection and Messaging: The crew notes that both parties now focus on economic benefits of war funding to their respective audiences, as opposed to moral or strategic arguments.

4. Government Shutdown and Democratic Leadership Vacuum

[Begins ~48:17]

• Shutdown Looms: With just six days left, Republicans refuse to negotiate on a funding deal. Chuck Schumer, Senate Democratic leader, is depicted as desperate for any cover to justify compromise.

  • Sam’s Critique:
    “We are just a floating piece of driftwood on the river…There is no plan. There is nothing. It is, we're going to drift into victory.” (55:11)

• Dems’ Weak Messaging:

  • Schumer’s unpopularity, even among Senate hopefuls from his own party, is underscored by reluctance to support him for leader.
  • Lack of positive messaging; Dems seem to simply hope to avoid being more unpopular than the GOP.

• Notable Schumer Moment [51:35]:

  • "They want to break him. And we’ll see. He may just cave anyway. It’s amazing." - Sam Seder

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Right-Wing Rhetoric Flip:

  • “So as you probably heard, because it’s a huge story…and there’s also, I imagine, some awareness that Disney was calculating, like, it doesn’t matter how much tribute we pay to Trump. In the end, we can’t satiate this guy, so we might as well go the other direction.”
    — Sam Seder (09:23)

• On Sun Union Suppression:

  • “They want to silence us by putting in a non disparagement clause in our union contract…They say that this is our fault. This is fully based on the union’s contract actions.”
    — Dan Belson (30:41)
  • “Silencing workers, silencing union journalists, that’s silencing the truth.”
    — Hannah Gaskill (37:24)

• On Democratic Strategy:

  • “We are just a floating piece of driftwood on the river…There is no plan. There is nothing. It is, we're going to drift into victory.”
    — Sam Seder (55:11)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Kimmel Controversy & Disney’s Calculus: 04:13 – 17:00
• Baltimore Sun Interview: 23:36 – 38:09
• Trump’s Ukraine Position Reversal: 39:01 – 48:17
• Government Shutdown & Dem Leadership: 48:17 – 56:00

Memorable Moments

• Sam’s Description of Sinclair’s Ownership:
  “This is sort of like a baby Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch type of situation.” (27:13)

• Humorous Takes:

  • Sam: “How many murders can happen in this building?” (08:35)
  • On subscription reminders: “Majority port is one of the only renewing subscriptions that I am aware of that actually sends you a payment reminder that your payment’s coming up, which is absolutely not best practices.” (07:41)

Summary/Takeaways

This episode offers a blistering critique of media consolidation and political interference (using both the Kimmel controversy and Baltimore Sun labor battle as case studies), exposes the transactional nature of Trump and the MAGA movement’s “principles,” and takes aim at Democratic leadership’s lackluster messaging. The Baltimore Sun segment stands out as a poignant example of an embattled newsroom’s struggle for journalistic autonomy amid hostile ownership. Throughout, Sam Seder’s irreverent, incisive tone keeps the analysis both lively and sharply skeptical.